Here's What "Avatar" Director James Cameron Had To Say About Matt Damon's Claim He Turned Down Millions When He Rejected The Film

    Matt Damon was offered a starring role in the 2009 film.

    Matt Damon missed out on millions when he turned down 2009's Avatar — and now, director James Cameron is responding.

    A closeup of Matt

    In 2019, Matt revealed that he was actually offered a starring role in the flick but had to say "no."

    A closeup of Matt

    According to Matt, he was presented a deal in which he would get 10% of the movie’s profits — which could have meant millions.

    A closeup of Matt

    Avatar ended up becoming the highest-grossing movie ever, earning over $2 billion worldwide, meaning Matt could have made about $250 million.

    A closeup of Matt

    "I will go down in history. You will never meet an actor who turned down more money," Matt said during a Cannes Film Festival masterclass.

    A closeup of Matt

    Following the recent premiere of Avatar: The Way of Water, James spoke out about Matt's claims.

    A closeup of James

    "He’s beating himself up over this," he said during an appearance on BBC Radio.

    A closeup of James

    He jokingly added, "And I really think you know, ‘Matt, you’re kind of like one of the biggest movie stars in the world, get over it.'"

    A closeup of James

    James went on to explain that at the time, Matt had to do another Bourne film, and there was "nothing we could do about that."

    Matt in James Bourne

    While Matt had to "regretfully decline" at the time, James says he'd love to have him make a cameo in the future.

    A closeup of James

    "Must do it. We have to do it so the world is in equilibrium again. But he doesn’t get 10%, fuck that," James concluded with a laugh.

    Closeup of James Cameron

    You can hear all that James had to say below.

    View this video on YouTube

    BBC Radio 1 / Via youtube.com